Typographical distributing machine



May 25 1926.

' D. S. KENNEDY TYPOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 11 1925 INVENTOR BY v I I ATTo film Patented May 25, 1926.

UNITED STATES ,DAVID s. KENNEDY, or nnooKLYii, YORK, assrenon To ME GENTH LER I TYPE ooMPA vY, A cone-citation or new YORK. I

rATsNrorricE.

LIND- TYPOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTING MACHINE.

This invention relates to typographical distributing machines, such as linotype machines of the general organization represented in Letters Patent of the United States, No. 436,532, to O. Mergenthaler, wherein circulating matrices are released from a magazine in the order in which their characters are to appear in printand then assembled in line, the composed line transferred to the face of a mold, the mold filled with molten metal to form a slug or linotype against the matrices which produce the type characters thereon, and the matrices thereafter returned through distributing mechanism to the magazine from which they started, More particularly, it relates to that style of machine equipped with a plurality of magazines containing matrices of ditl'erent fonts which may be used together in the composition of mixed matter, as for example the commercial linotype model 9 or model 25. In these machines the distributing mechanism ordinarily com- F prises a font separator or primary distributor and a plurality of main or secondary distributors, whereby the matrices are first sorted according to font and thereafter separated according to character and restored to the proper channels of their respective magazines.

The present invention is directed principally to certain improvements in'the primary distributor, intended to facilitate the handling of thin matrices and to obviate some of the difliculties which have heretofore arisen in connection with them. As is well known, the primary distributor gen-- erally includes a ribbed bar formed at different points in itslength with matrix releasing or blank portions, a set of rotary screws for advancing the matrices onto and along the bar as they are detached from the composed line by the usual lifting finger, and a plurality of different selector bridges located directly beneath the blank portions of the bar and adapted to cooperate with difierently located notches formed in the bottom edges of the advancing matrices in effecting their separation according to font. In the normal operation of the parts, a matrix, when raised by the lifting finger,

is immediately picked up by the screws and carried onto and along the ribbed bar until its distinguishing notch registers with one oi the selector bridges, at which time it is allowed to drop to a slightly lower level out of engaging. relation to the bar and finally fall into one of I several chutesv leading. to the main distributors. It has been found in practice that the matrices, particularly those of the thinner variety, frequently'tail to drop astride their-corresponding bridges as they should but, instead, travel past the bridges and drop into the wrong chute and thus enter the wrong magazine or else leavethe machine without' being distributed at all. This condition which has been aggravated by the increased speed of distribution resulting from the use of the modernhigh pitch-screws, occurs most lrequently at the first bridge, due tothe close proximity of the latter to the pick-up Zone of the. matrices which are still in an un- 7 stable condition when they reach the bridge.

According to this invention, means are provided tending to retardthe matrices as they reach the first'bridge and to urge them downward as they cross it. In the pre ferred embodiment illustrated, such means comprise a pair of: dogs pivotally mounted on opposite sides of the ribbed bar near its receiving end and, arranged to yieldingly engage the advancing matrices at their upper ends. I l

The invention also contemplates means for regulating the initial purchase of the lifting linger on the; bottom edgesof the matrices to ensure the proper delivery of 1 thin matrices to the conveying'screws.

, Inthe accompanying drawing, :the invention, has been shown only in'preit'erred form and'by'way of example, and as applied to the specific style of distributing mechanism indicated. However, many changes andvariations may be made therein and in its mode of application, which will still be comprised within its spirit. It should be understood therefore that the invention is not limited to any, specific form or embodiment, except in so far as such limitations are specified III the claims, I v I In the drawings:

Fig. l is a rear elevation, partly in section and broken away, of the primary dis tributor ot a linotype machine equipped with the present improvements;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1, showing a matrix as displaced by the dogs; and

Fig. 3 is a detail horizontal section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

In machines of the present class, a composed line of matrices X, after the casting operation, is lifted to the primary distributing level, where it is shifted horizontally by a transfer slide Q into a d stributor box A, the pusher block Q of said slide serving to hold the line vyieldingly against stop shoulders A formed on the box guide rails and arranged to engage the projecting ears X of each leading matrix until the last one in the line has been distributed. The box A is equipped as usual with a reciprocating finger A pivotally connected to one end of a rocking lever A so as to feed the matrices one at a time to the primary distributor B, the latter comprising the ribbed bar B the matrix conveying screws, B and the associated selector bridges B". As shown in Fig. 1, the rocking lever A is spring-controlled and receives its motion from a cam B fastened to one of the screw spindles through the vertical slide rod A and roller A. A transverse block A against which the lifting linger A is normally held by a light pullspring A serves, as heretofore, to guide the finger in its reciprocations and determines its purchase on the bottom edges of matrices to be lifted. The primary distributor B herein illustrated is designed for a two magazine mixing machine and hence only two selector bridges B are employed.

These bridges are located directly below blank portions B, B of the bar B so as to underlie he advancing matrices, and are formed with small tongues B arranged to support matrices of one form at the proper level to reengage the bar and permit those of another form to drop below said level to disengage the bar. Short rail sections B, B are arranged to temporarily sustain the matrices by their upper projecting ears as they drop astride the tongues B. As will be noted in Fig. 1, these rail sections terminate above the open ends of a pair of chutes C, C, which conduct matrices re leased by the rails to the two main distributors (not shown). lVith this arrange ment and under normal conditions, matrices in course of distribution will either straddle the tongues B of the selector bridges as they pass across the blank port-ions B*, B of the ribbed bar, or be sustained thereby until they reengage the bar, depending, of course, upon the location of the distinguishing notches X Thus, an advancing matrix belonging to a certain font and whose distinguishing notch registers with the tongue B of the first bridge is allowed to drop below the bar engaging level (Fig. 2), while, on the other hand, a matrix of a different font, whose notch does not register with said tongue, will be supported by the latter across the gap 13* at the proper level to reengage the bar. These parts and their mode of operation are so well known that any further description would be superfluous.

In carrying out the present invention, there is provided a pair of gravity dogs D pivotally mounted on opposite sides of the bar B and arranged to engage the upper ends of the advancing matrices as they approach the first selector bridge. These dogs at their free ends are each formed with a head portion D having a beveled nose D disposed in the path of the advancing matrices, and a lip D normally resting upon a pin D extending transversely from the bar. A sheet metal keeper plate D, fastened about midway of the dogs to the top of the bar B serves to restrain the dogs against lateral displacement. According to this ar-- rangement, a matrix picked up by the screws 13 and whose font notch X coincides with the tongue B of the first selector bridge, will be urged downwardly by the dogs D, so as to straddle the tongue in the desired manner. Preferably these dogs are of like form and weight so that an even pressure, although very slight and in fact just enough to be effective, will be exerted upon the upper ends of the matrices to place them squarely astride the bridge tongue. In this connection, it is pointed out that the location of the pins D is such that the pressure of the dogs will cease after the matrices are pushed downwardly over the bric ge tongue a slight extent and before the matrices become supported by the rail sections B and the upper face of the bridge (see Fig. Furtheremore, the form and arrangement of the dogs D are such that, besides functioning in the manner just de scribed, they also serve to retard and stabilize the matrices as they approach the firstbridge from the nearby pick-up position, it being appreciated that the matrices when picked up from a position of rest by the rapidly rotating high pitch screws are sub jected to a violent disturbance which may not have subsided by the time they reach the bridge. While a selecting tongue B is herein shown on the bridge located below the second blank portion B its presence is not necessary, as the dogs D will positively ensure the deposit of all matrices into the chute C destined for the corresponding magazine, leaving the other matrices free to be dropped into the chute C for return to the second magazine. However, the use of the tongue will prevent the delivery into the chute C of misplaced matrices or matrices belonging to foreign fonts, such matrices being'carried off bythe ribbed portion B and dropped onto the rail sections B which discharge them into the pi-tray or receptacle. E; It will be understood that matrices whose notches X donot register with the tongue B of thefirst selector bridge will, be maintained at the higher level for re-engagement with the ribbed bar, the

dogs D in such cases yielding upwardly to permit the matrices to pass by (see dotted lines in Fig. 1), although still exerting a desirable retarding influence thereon. If desired, a second pair of dogs D maybe employed for the second selectorbridge, or in cases where there are more than two bridges,

one pair for each.

According to another feature of the in vention, the lifting finger A is controlled in such manner that its purchase on the bottom edges of the matrices may be readily and accurately regulated as required, it being noted that the amount of purchase, al-

though necessarily less than the thickness I of the thinnest matrix should always be as great as possible in order to prevent slipping of the finger from under the matrices during lifting. As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the block A, instead of constituting a fixed part of the box A, as heretofore, is slidably mounted between the side wallsthereof and loosely connected or swiveled, as at A to one end of an adjusting screw A, which has a finely threaded bearing in a block A fixed to the box walls. In order to lock or maintain the guide block A in its adjusted positions, it is provided with a pair of clamping screws A slidably arranged in elongated slots A formed in the opposite side plates of the box (see Fig. 3). As a result of this arrangement (since the finger A is constantly held by the spring ATup against the guide block A) the desired adjustment of the finger may be quickly and easily effected by turning the adjusting screw A in one direction or the other, the clamping screws A being loosened and tightened before and after the adjusting operation, respectively. In this way, the feeding of the thinner matrices to the primary distributor is greatly facilitated.

Having thus described my invention, its construction and mode of operation, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is as follows:

1. In a typographical distributing mechanism, the combination of a ribbed bar, a set of. high-pitched screws for advancing the matrices along the bar, meansfor feed ing the matrices one at atime into position to be picked up by the screws, and means arranged adjacent to the pick-up zone to engage the advancing matrices at their upper ends and tending to retard them in their ad vance. V

2. In a typographical distributing mechalong the bar, means for feeding the matrices successively to. the screws, a selector bridge to cooperate with the advancing matrices, and yielding meansarranged to engage the upper ends of the advancing matrices and exert a downward pressure thereon as they cross the bridge.

3.111 a typographical distributing mechanism, the combination of a ribbed bar, a set'of'screws for advancing the matrices along the bar, means for feeding the matrices successively. to the screws, a'selector bridge to cooperate with the advancing matrices, and a pair of yielding dogs arranged in the path of the matrices and tending'to press them -downward as they cross the bridge.- a I 4. 'Ina typographical distributing mechanism, the combination of a ribbed bar formed with matrix releasing or blank portions, a set of screws for advancing the matrices along the bar, a plurality of selector bridges arranged beneath the blank portions of the bar, and means arranged in the path of advancing matrices and tending toretard them as they approach the first bridge and to urge them downward as they cross it.

5. In a typographical distributing mechanism, the combination of a ribbed bar formed with a blank portion,a set of screws for advancing the matrices along the bar, a selector bridge arranged beneath said blank portion, a pair of vertically movable dogs pivotally mounted on opposite sides of said bar and arranged to yieldingly engage through which the matrices are transferred for distribution, stop shoulders for arrest I ing the matrices within the box, a reciproeating finger for lifting the matrices succes sively above said shoulders, an adjustable block for guiding the finger in its reciprocations,-and means for adjusting the block to regulate the purchase of the finger on the bottom edges of the matrices to be lifted.

7 In a typographical distributing mechanism, the combination of a distributor box, a reciprocatingfinger associated therewith, an adjustable block for guiding the finger in the reciprocations,1neans for adjustlng the block laterally in either direction and means for retaining the block in its adjusted positions. I

8. In a typographicaldistributing mechanism, the combination of a distributor box, a reciprocating finger associated therewith, an adjustableblock for guiding the finger in the reciprocations, a stationary block mounted adjacent the adjustable block and an adjusting screw threaded to: the stationary block and swiyeled to the adjusting block;

i 9. In a typographical distributing n1eclranism, the combination of a. distributor box, a reciprocating finger associated therewith, an adjustable block for guiding the finger in its reciprocations, a stationary block mounted adjacent the adjustable block, an adjusting screw threaded to the stationary block and S\Vl\"(3l6(l to the adjusting block, and. aclamping screw threaded to the. ad,- j ustable block and arranged tobear against a relatively fixed part to hold the block in its adjusted position.

10. In a typographical distributing mechanism, the combination of a ribbed bar, a set of screws for advancing the matrices along the bar, means for feeding the matrices successively to the screws, a selector bridge to cooperate with the advancing matrices, and yielding means arranged to engage the upper ends or" the advancing matrices and exert a: downward pressure thereon as they cross the bridge, said means ceasing their pressure upon the matrices when the latter drop astride the bridge.

In testimony whereof, I have affixed my signature hereto.

DAVID S'. KENNEDY. 

